Tag Archives: Riders Pro Bike Shop

You might have been wondering why I always refer to my bike as ‘Julie’ though normally I do not belong to those people who refer to their dish washers as Harry or their cactuses as Emanuela.

Not that I do not like how some of my friends personify their cars, computers and vacuum cleaners, but my creative powers simply always ceased after finding witty names for our hamsters, so that the only non-living items in our household carrying names are probably the infamous Billy book cases available at a Swedish furniture store.

Okay, I am wandering off the point… So here is the story why my ride got a name:

I decided to get my own bike after only three times out on different rental racers I borrowed from Riders Pro Bike Shop in Tung Chung. When I returned my last ride – a well used but oh so smooth running black and yellow GIANT roadie which reminded me of the most likeable Transformer ‘Bumblebee’ – our dear bestower and co-rider Andy had the perfect entry level road bike on offer: a MERIDA ROAD RACE HFS 904-COM. I could score a good deal because it was a previous year model and could save some extra cash by changing the original wheels to Kais old set of Gipiemme rims.

Shortly after I took my precious new birthday gift home for some further adjustments the curious rookie rider in me wanted to check what I actually invested in. I tortured google and found out that MERIDA’s girly versions all carry the epithet “Juliet” to distinguish them from their brothers. Though I actually got the Romeo-version, somehow this info got stuck in my brain and when I took a first test ride around the airport later on that rainy day, I unconsciously started to call my new ride ‘Julie’.

This was the beginning of a beautiful friendship and I took Julie out to the streets around Hong Kong Disney Land almost every day. Given the fact that I spent at least one hour a day in the saddle, this quirky behaviour became a habit soon. Partly because I absolutely treasure my bike and partly because I think that we are a good team speeding around and pushing up steep hills. You won’t believe how often I catch myself thinking: “We will make it up there, Julie” – true to the motto a sorrow shared is a sorrow halved

That’s it – plain and simple and maybe a bit loco, too.
How about you? Has your bike a name?